


hes... smaller than i expected

by Watermelonslibrary



Category: LEGO Monkie Kid, Xi You Ji | Journey to the West - Wu Cheng'en
Genre: Family Fluff, Family Reunion, Fluff, Gen, kinda ooc but you do what you gotta do, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:53:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27336718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Watermelonslibrary/pseuds/Watermelonslibrary
Summary: Tang Sanzang is sent to China after finding out Monkey King has a successor.
Relationships: Monkey King | Sun Wukong & MK | Qi Xiaotian (LEGO Monkie Kid), Sūn Wùkōng | Monkey King & Táng Sānzàng | Tripitaka
Comments: 70
Kudos: 129





	1. he has a successor!

**Author's Note:**

> Just a few things you should know before reading!  
> Tripitaka (Tang Sanzang) is the monk that journeyed with Sun Wukong to get the Buddhist scriptures. When he finished his journey, he ascended to Buddhahood and lived an immortal life as a Buddha (Candana-Merit Buddha).  
> I haven’t finished Journey to the West yet, so if something doesn’t quite fit with the story, I’ll go back and change it. This is supposed to be a fun little short story of Sanzang meeting MK! I hope you guys enjoy :))

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Jade Emperor finds out Sun Wukong is active again and fears the Monkey King will become a threat to heaven.

_“Candana-Merit Buddha!”_

A cry rang out around the holy monastery snapping the Buddha out of his meditative thoughts. He looked up to see a messenger of heaven bowing deeply in front of him. “Please, rise my child, what seems to be the problem?” The Holy Buddha asked. The messenger rose but continued to bow. “The Jade Emperor requires an audience with the Candana-Merit Buddha!” The messenger cried. 

“Any reason why?”

“I cannot say, but it is an incredibly urgent matter!”

A nervous pit formed in the belly of the Buddha, but he simply rose from his seat and nodded. “Alright then, take me to the emperor.” 

Reaching the marvelous Jade Palace, the Buddha and the messenger entered the main room through massive doors that seemed to reach on forever. The immortals all bowed at the sight of the Candana-Merit Buddha, and when he reached the Jade Emperor himself, the emperor quickly fell to his knees and kowtowed to the holy man. “I thank you from the bottom of my heart for seeing me today, I have terrible news and Heaven needs your help!” The Buddha quickly bent down to help the emperor back on his feet and looked at him, begging him to continue. 

“That old monkey who tore up Heaven all those decades ago has resurfaced!!!!” 

“Sun Wukong?” He gasped. 

“And it gets worse!” The Jade Emperor sobbed. “He’s found a _successor!!”_

“A successor???” The Buddha could only echo stupidly. “And I was thinking,” the emperor looked up at him with hopeful eyes, “since he was _your_ disciple…” 

Tang Sanzang hadn’t seen Sun Wukong in decades. In fact, Sanzang believed his monkey had _died_ during his last battle with the Bull Demon King. He shook himself out of the daze and stared down at the emperor who sobbed at his feet. “Please, please, please Candana-Merit Buddha, go see if that ape and his successor will be a problem to Heaven. I don’t trust that BanHorsePlague not to wreak havoc in heaven again, and if he’s training a new Monkey King- oh the terror- we won’t stand a chance against two of them!!” The Buddha cringed at the name ‘BanHorsePlague’ a vague memory of the monkey’s anger flashing though his head. He sighed. “Leave it to me your majesty, if anyone can control the Great Saige, I can.” The emperor kowtowed, thanking the Buddha profusely, and after kindly refusing the gifts and foods offered to him, Tang Sanzang left Heaven and dropped down to China to see what that mischievous monkey was planning. 


	2. what a beautiful city China has become

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The monk reunites with his disciples after so many years apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAA ok so I chose to characterize the monk as book smart but not street smart. He’s an intelligent and wise man, but when it comes to basic human interaction and such, he’s rather timid and awkward. It might be just a little ooc for him as his characterization in the book shows him as a relatively cool-headed guy who doesn’t let his emotions get the best of him, but I’m being very self indulgent here. I hope you enjoy!

Breathtaking.  
One word Tang Sanzang chose to describe China in its current state was breathtaking. And overwhelming. Bright multicolored lights and loud noises surrounded the immortal, he stood in the middle of the crowded sidewalk attempting to take it all in. Someone bumped by him causing him to stumble and yelled “don’t just stand in the middle of the sidewalk, stupid!” Sanzang quickly stepped aside and mumbled a ‘sorry’ before continuing on.  
Though he was a Buddha now, he still wanted to walk though China as if he was just a normal mortal human. So, after donning his monk attire, he set out to find his eldest disciple. Unbeknownst to him, the world had progressed way beyond what he last remembered it as, and he stuck out like a sore thumb.  
Finally finding himself in a less crowded and less bustling area, he stood on the side of the sidewalk to give room to passerbys as he drank in the sight before him.  
—  
“PIGSY!!!!” The hog cringed at the high pitched voice that rang out behind him. “What is it, kid?” He turned around, almost slamming into the energetic teenage boy (who, already known to Pigsy, had no concept of personal space). The boy bounced on his toes clutching his ‘Biography of the Monkey King’. Pigsy already knew what was up.  
“No.”  
“Please????”  
“Listen kid I’m not gonna-” he paused when he saw the watery eyes of the boy in front of him. Finally he sighed in defeat and grumbled, gesturing at an empty stool at the noodle bar. MK squealed and hopped up on the chair (much like a little child). “Five minutes. Then I gotta get back to work.” The brunette grinned widely and nodded so hard his headband almost flew off his head. “Ok ok!!! This time, I wanna hear the one where you guys first meet Sandy!!!!!!” Pigsy groaned again. “Fine.”  
When MK found out that his boss Pigsy was the Zhu Baije from the legend, he was ecstatic. It didn’t take him long to connect the dots and realize Sandy was Sha Wujing. He begged over and over for the two to tell him stories of their travels, Sandy happily obliged while Pigsy hated it. When he took the pilgrimage West to retrieve the scriptures, he was immature, crude, lazy and (ironically enough) altogether a pig. He cringed when he thought of the man he was before, but the boy held a certain place in his heart and it was impossible to say no to such a request. So, he told his stories.  
About halfway through (stopping at the part where the hog dove into the water a second time to coax the sea demon up to the surface so Wukong could defeat him), the tell-tale chime of the bell that hung above the entrance door sounded, and Pigsy quickly straightened up. He plastered on a faux grin and chirped “Welcome to Pigsy’s Noodles! Home of the world's longest noodles!” But when his eyes locked onto the ones of his new customer, he felt woozy.  
There stood a ghost of his past. Clad in plain clay colored robes and a string of prayer beads around his neck, Tang Sanzang looked around the small noodle shop in awe. “Wow… look at this place. I couldn’t have imagined this is how the world would look after so many years.” He turned his attention to Pigsy with a soft smile. “Baije, you look good. How have you been.”  
And just like that, instinct kicked in and the pig quickly dropped to his knees and kowtowed. “Master!”


	3. reunion (with a little interruption)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The monk meets his eldest disciple’s successor (it doesn’t go as planned)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edited

After much coaxing and much crying, the tang monk finally managed to get his third disciple up off the noodle shop floor and into a standing position. That didn’t last long though, before the pig threw his arms around the Buddha and hugged him tightly. 

“Master, I missed you so much!!!!” He sobbed. Sanzang returned the hug happily. “Bajie, it’s been so long! How have you been?” He pulled the old pig off of him to look him in his eyes. The monk’s gaze was warm and loving, and the protective feeling Pigsy felt during their journey West together flooded his chest once more. 

Pigsy (now feeling a prickle of embarrassment after the rather ungraceful display he showed in front of the few customers that sat in the restaurant), composed himself and cleared his throat, beaming proudly. “I’ve been good, I found somethin’ I love doing and now I got this old noodle shop!” He gestured around him to his small (a little shoddy up but not terrible) shop. 

“Noodle shop?” 

“Yeah! Here, sit, sit! I’ll make you some of my famous noodles.” 

Sanzang quickly took a seat at the noodle bar as Pigsy hurried off to make some noodles, and continued to look around in awe (still unaccustomed to his new surroundings). The place smelled strongly of unknown spices, but they were not unpleasant scents. As he turned back towards the front to look for where his disciple disappeared to, he was quickly met with- 

_ “OHMYGOSH IT'S REALLY YOU??????????”  _

The Buddha startled. 

Sitting beside him was a young boy, no older than 20, with dark brown hair sticking straight up to the heavens. The boy grinned widely at the monk and bounced energetically in his seat. “Me..?” Sanzang replied, still a little shaken up by the loud burst of energy from just moments before. “YOU'RE THE TANG MONK!!! FROM THE STORIES!!!!!! YOU'RE REALLY HIM!!!!!!!! OH MY GOSH THIS FEELS SO UNREAL, I CANT BELIEVE IM ACTUALLY SITTING BESIDE  _ THE  _ MONK WHO TRAVELED WEST TO GET THE HOLY SCRIPTURES-”

This day simply couldn’t get any more overwhelming, the Buddha decided. 

He had dealt with much over his years of journeying, but for some reason the loud, energetic ray of sunshine that sat to his right felt like a little too much for the monk to handle at the moment. Thankfully, his third disciple re-emerged from the curtain that separated the kitchen from the dining area in the nick of time. 

“MK!!! Get back to work! You got orders to run!” The pig scolded the boy, who quickly protested the command.

“but Pigsy!!!!!!! I have  _ so much  _ to ask Mr. Sanzang!!!” Pigsy shook his head and pointed at a stack of bags on the table. “Orders. Now!” The kid (MK, Sanzang concluded), hopped down from the stool and whipped around to face the monk. “DON'T GO ANYWHERE!!! I’ll be right back!!!!!” He grinned, before grabbing the collection of bags off the counter and dashing out the door. 

Sanzang turned to his disciple with a dazed look. “Who…?” He gestured at the door. Pigsy shook his head dismissively and placed a steaming bowl in front of him. “Don’t worry about MK, he’s my…” the pig paused (almost as if he couldn’t quite place what that kid was to him), but then quickly changed the subject before he could continue.

“Anyways, what are you doing here Master? Shouldn’t you be in heaven, livin’ it up as a Buddha now?” The monk chuckled and said, “yes, well I was feeling a bit homesick and decided to drop down and see how my disciples were doing.” He smiled at the pig. 

It wasn’t a  _ lie  _ per-se, he  _ was  _ dropping down to see how his disciples were doing. Well, how one troublesome monkey disciple was doing. 

Pigsy grinned back, “that’s the master I know. Always checkin’ in on us. Here, eat! You must be hungry from your journey here.” Sanzang smiled, thanking his student, and happily obliged. 

The noodles he ate were  _ heavenly.  _ The flavor was strong and mouthwatering, and he finished his bowl in a matter of minutes. 

Thanking the pig again, he set his empty dishes aside. “How are your brothers? Have you been keeping in touch with Wujing and Wukong?” Pigsy nodded, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “Yeah… me an’ little brother Wujing have been keeping in touch recently, especially since, uh..” 

“Since what, Baije?” Alarm seeping in the monk’s voice. 

“It’s nothin’ bad! It’s nothin’ bad Master, it’s just…” Pigsy sighed and gave Sanzang another sheepish grin. “We’ve been seein’ more of each other since eldest brother got a disciple of his own.” The monk let out his breath he was unconsciously holding in, and responded with feigned ignorance. “Disciple? Who is his student? Will I meet him?” 

Pigsy chuckled nervously and rubbed his neck again. 

“Well, you already did.” 

And with that, the door flew open (almost knocking the little bell that sat above it off its nail), and the same loud, energetic voice from before cried out-

“ PIGSY, IM BAACKKK!!!”

  
  



	4. a small kid with a big heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The tang monk gets a good idea of who the kid is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Felt like making this chapter soft :)  
> Soft Sanzang and Pigsy moment soft Sanzang and MK moments

“-and, and, that other time was when you got kidnapped  _ again  _ but this time it was by the scorpion demon lady and it was right after you pretended to marry the-” 

The kid went on and on and on with no regard for the embarrassed look on Pigsy’s face and the rather disturbed one on Sanzang’s. “I’m so sorry…” the pig muttered to his old master, who simply shook his head. 

“It’s fine…” the Buddha mumbled back, as the energetic boy continued to recount his favorite moments of the monk getting kidnapped by various demons. 

He leaned forward (still sitting on the stool at the noodle bar) and smiled at the boy who sat across from him. “MK… is that right? MK?” 

This snapped the boy out of his chattery state and he grinned at the holy monk while vigorously nodding his head. 

“Yep! It’s MK! You got it right! How’d you know my name?” He gasped and slapped his hands to his cheeks. “Is it because you’re a Buddha now??? Now you know everything!!!!! Because you’re a Buddha, right??? Wow, I’ve never met a Buddha before!!” He rambled on, but suddenly stopped himself mid sentence. “Oh wait-” 

The kid quickly slipped out of the stool and his feet ungracefully hit the floor with a thunk. He then dropped to his knees and kowtowed to the holy man before him. Sanzang jumped and stared down at the boy with wide eyes before finally registering what had just happened. “Oh! Please, you don’t have to-” 

He shook his head and quickly hopped off his stool and stood before the bowed boy. He leaned down and hooked his hands under the child’s arms to pull the kid back on his feet. MK stared up at the man with wide, innocent eyes. 

“I thought you’re supposed to bow if you see a Buddha. Right? I know you bow when you see a Buddha statue so…” he furrowed his brows and brought his hand to his chin as if trying to remember how he was supposed to act towards the Buddha. 

At this point, Tang Sanzang had gotten the general gist of this kid and his personality. He was positive, talkative, passionate, and most of all he was  _ pure.  _ He didn’t have a bad bone in his body. The monk could feel the pure energy that radiated from the child and it was almost blinding. 

He smiled, and placed both hands on MK’s shoulders. “MK, you don’t have to bow to me. We are family now, do you understand?” 

He didn’t. 

“Huh?” 

“Any family of my disciple’s is a family of mine,” he glanced knowingly at Pigsy before continuing, “and from the looks of it my third disciple has taken you in as his family. So, you are now my family too.” 

MK squinted at the monk, childlike suspicion creeping up on his face. It faded fast though, when the bold grin quickly found its way back on the boy’s lips. “WOAH! Really??? That’s so cool!!!!” And proceeded to wrap his arms around the tall monk’s waist in a tight hug. “So I guess you’re like, my grandpa! My grand-master? My…?”

Sanzang just patted the boy's head and chuckled. “You can just call me ‘Sanzang’ if it’s easier for you.” He felt the boy nod and squeeze him tighter. 

“Alright, alright, get off the old man, he’s probably tired from his trip and wants to rest. Why don’t you go ahead and clock out for break? Get yourself some noodles, okay kid?” Pigsy pried the energetic boy off the monk and gave him a solid pat on the back to send him to the kitchen. MK happily skipped away, but only after giving Sanzang a gleeful wave goodbye. “I’ll see you later Mr. Sanzang sir!!!” 

The pig exhaled and crossed his arms as he watched the boy trip over his laces on his way to the time clock. “He’s… a handful.” 

“Mm. Now you know how I felt taking care of three childish disciples.” 

“Hey! I wasn’t childish! I was very..!” He trailed off. “I wasn’t  _ that  _ bad, was I?” 

Sanzang laughed and patted his third disciple on the back. “You were pretty difficult, I must say.” The pig puffed out his cheeks in offense. “But,” the monk turned and looked Pigsy in the eyes. “But I can't even recognize you now. You’ve grown so much since our journey together and I am  _ so proud  _ of you. You’ve matured and built yourself into something  _ amazing.  _ Zhu Bajie, I want you to know how beautiful you have become. I am so very proud of you.” 

Pigsy stood in awe. He felt his chest tighten up and suddenly- 

He collapsed into his masters arms again, letting tears fall freely down his cheeks. The monk hugged his disciple tightly. 

“Thank you Master, I couldn’t have done any of it without you.” 


	5. you’ve grown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The tang monk reunites with his youngest disciple and they talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little heavy and not well written but the next one will be better (had a bad day when I wrote it)   
> Next chapter is gonna be soft Sanzang and MK moments I promise

Pigsy, Sanzang, and MK arrived at the dock around midday (a little later than planned, Sanzang kept getting distracted by different sights and noises that were foreign to him), and the three made their way to a rather beat up but otherwise sturdy boat. The monk followed close to his disciple and the child to avoid getting lost (again). 

They boarded the boat, Pigsy beat his fist on the large wooden door that led to the lower deck and MK grabbed the monk’s robe (practically _vibrating_ with excitement). 

A few seconds passed before a muffled “coming!!” was heard, followed by hurried footsteps. Soon after, the door was thrown open and there stood a young girl (about the same age as MK) with a wide smile and energetic eyes. 

“MEI!!!” MK cried, pushing past Sanzang to throw his arms around the girl’s neck. She gladly returned the hug and giggled “hey MK, shouldn’t you be at work right now?” 

“Pigsy closed shop early because-” 

He stopped mid sentence to turn around and gesture grandly at the monk. 

“TAH DAHH!!! Look who it is!!” 

Mei stared at the man for a good few seconds (Sanzang waved nervously at the girl) before looking back at MK. 

“Wow MK, you found a new friend!” She chirped. The boy seemed to deflate at that and dropped his arms with a groan. “ _ No  _ Mei, don’t you recognize him?” 

The girl shook her head. 

“This is-” 

_ “Master??”  _

A strong voice was heard from behind the little girl and Sanzang quickly looked up to see his youngest disciple emerge from within the boat. The tang monk smiled (grateful to see another familiar face in his strange surroundings), and stepped forward to greet his dear student. “Wujing. It’s been so long, you look very healthy.” 

Sandy lurched forward and grabbed his master, lifting him up into a bone-crushing hug. The Buddha squeaked and patted the fish in an attempt to return the hug. 

“Hey! Sandy!! Put him down!!! You’ll crush him!!!!” Pigsy cried, thumping his younger brother on the arm. 

Sandy quickly placed the tang monk back on the ground and began apologizing profusely. 

“Master I’m so sorry, I got so excited when I saw you I couldn’t help myself. I forgot that you’re soft and easily breakable.” 

The monk laughed at that and shook his head. “I’m not as fragile as you think Wujing. I missed you and your brothers very much, tell me, how are you doing?” 

“Come in master, I’ll put on some tea and tell you everything!” The fish turned around and beckoned the others to follow. 

Sanzang happily obliged and the group disappeared into the boat. 

—

Getting in the boat was an easy task, but settling down was a whole other story. One one side, the young boy sat, chattering away about things Sanzang could barely remember from the journey he took so many years ago. On his other side, the girl bombarded him with questions about his Buddhahood (‘do you have superpowers?’ ‘Are you like, immortal?’ ‘Can you fly?’). 

It was loud. It was overwhelming. But the monk found a certain familiar warmth settle in his belly when his disciples re-emerged from the dining area of the boat with tea and small snacks. The kids quickly leapt up from their spots to snatch the snacks from Pigsy’s arms and scamper up to a little raised area that housed a small couch and tv. 

Pigsy sat down next to his master and Sandy settled on the floor in front of him. 

“I’m sorry for all the…” the hog gestured at the two kids who were yelling incoherently at the tv screen. 

“Noise.” Sandy supplied. Pigsy nodded sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. 

Sanzang smiled and took a cup of tea in his hands. “I wasn’t bothered, they’re very pleasant kids.” Pigsy chuckled at that, shaking his head fondly with a warm smile playing on his lips. The fish demon grinned up at his master and asked “so what are you doing here? Did you get kicked out of heaven?” 

The Buddha chuckled. “I was beginning to my disciples dearly so I came down to check on all of you to see how you’re doing.” His youngest disciple grinned wider. “Aww, and here we thought you forgot!” 

Sanzang shook his head at that. “I could never forget about my disciples.” He chided, before changing the subject. “Wujing, how have you been?” 

Sandy chuckled and scratched his beard. 

“I’ve been good! I have been working on my anger and it’s been going pretty well, I got therapy cats to calm me down if I get a little too heated.” He gestured at the array of cats that littered the boat. The Buddha felt warm pride fill his heart, and Sandy continued. 

“I really got good at this ‘Buddhist’ thing Master, you’d be proud. I’ve been very well behaved and zen, I meditate every day and I recite my sutras regularly.” The fish demon finished with a bold smile that just radiated pride.

The tang monk (unable to contain the admiration he felt for his disciple) placed his hand over his mouth to keep from audibly sobbing. “Oh Wujing… you have  _ no idea  _ how much that means to me. You and your brother have both grown so much, I can’t even begin to express how proud I am to see what you’ve become. You followed all my teachings closely and now you’re everything I  _ knew  _ you could become.” 

The fish demon smiled, his cheeks red from the gratification his master gave him and he thanked the monk bashfully. Pigsy leaned back on the couch, draping his arms across the head of the sofa to get himself comfortable (the same soft, fond smile from before, but this time for his youngest brother). The three then began chatting idly with each other for a good bit of time before Sanzang’s face took on a more serious expression and he placed his tea cup on the coffee table in front of him. 

“So, I must ask…” he started in a low voice, “that boy over there is Sun Wukong’s successor, yes?” The two nodded. 

“Why?” 

“Big brother retired apparently, I guess he thought there still needs to be someone with his powers to protect China.” Sandy replied. 

Sanzang frowned and straightened himself up. He stared down at his hands with a troubled expression until Pigsy spoke up. 

“What’s bothering you Master?”

“I thought he had died.” 

A heavy silence filled air between the three. 

Sanzang continued. 

“When we finished our journey he disappeared from the earth. I was  _ so scared _ , I thought something terrible had happened to him. We traveled together for  _ years,  _ and while you two made a living for yourselves after we brought the scriptures back to China, he vanished. He left his staff on the mountain that held the Bull Demon King and he vanished. I know it sounds stupid but-” he cut himself off with a shake of his head. 

The two nodded in understanding. Pigsy stifled an uncomfortable groan and rubbed the back of his neck while Sandy nervously traced his finger over the gold patterns on his tea cup.

The air felt heavy. 

Sanzang sighed again before composing himself and standing up. “MK,” He beckoned. 

MK perked up at his name and grinned (oblivious to the realization that happened moments earlier), leaping off the couch and clumsily jumping down from the little alcove (falling down, his foot got tangled in a blanket that had been strone haphazardly on the floor and he hit the ground with a thud). He scrambled up to the monk and looked up at him with the same pure, positive shine that seemed to never leave his eyes. 

“Yes Mr. Sanzang sir???” 

The Buddha placed his hands on the boy’s shoulders. 

“I would like to see your master now, would you take me to him?” 

MK only beamed wider. 

“Definitely! Let's go see the Monkey King!!”


	6. the journey to Flower Fruit Mountain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group makes their way to Flower Fruit Mountain.

When they finally took off from land to make their way to Flower Fruit Mountain, Tang Sanzang excused himself to the deck to meditate. When he said this, he was hoping his point of  _ ‘I would like to go up and meditate alone’  _ would be successfully conveyed, but it only seemed to fall short to the little one’s ears. When he finally sat down on the deck to be left with his own thoughts and bask in the soft summer sun, only a couple of minutes passed before he heard the energetic footsteps of a certain  _ someone  _ stumble up the rickety stairs to the boat deck _.  _ He chose to ignore them for the time being, and plunge himself back into his own head to meditate. 

That didn’t last long.

He felt the boat deck vibrate as a pair of footsteps ran up to him and stopped at his side. Then the person plopped down. 

Silence followed. 

Sanzang cracked open one eye to see who his company was and there sat a young messy haired male. MK mimicked the monk, his legs crossed and his back straight, but unlike Sanzang, he couldn’t hold still. His leg bounced and his fingers drummed against his knee, his cheeks were puffed out and red as if he desperately wanted to break the silence but refused to do so. 

The Buddha stifled a chuckle and closed his eye to focus back on his meditation. What a funny boy, he thought. He could definitely see the resemblance MK shared with his old disciple. 

This silence continued for only a few seconds longer before MK groaned and slumped forward. 

“I don’t know how you do it Mr. Sanzang, sitting still and doing nothing is boring.” 

The tang monk opened his eyes and turned to MK. “Just Sanzang is fine MK, and it takes practice. When I was young like you I was raised to be a monk. Meditation comes easy to me. With practice and patience, you will be able to meditate easily too.” 

MK groaned again. 

“What’s the point in meditating?” 

“Meditation is used to still your mind. Everyday you experience thought, and that thought can clutter your brain and keep you from seeing things clearly. When I meditate, I recite sutras and pray. Others might just sit in thoughtlessness. It’s really up to the meditator how they do it.” He finished. 

MK scrunched his nose at that. “Sounds boring…” he mumbled. 

“Mr. Sanzang, am I a good Buddhist even if I don’t meditate?” 

The Buddha placed his hand on the other’s back. “MK, as long as you follow Guantana Buddha’s teachings, you are a good Buddhist. Meditation is not required.” 

MK grinned at the monk. “Whew! Good!” 

Sanzang smiled back at the boy and gave him a gentle pat. “You’re a good kid, don’t ever let anyone take that away from you. Understand?” He said softly, and the boy nodded vigorously in response. “Yes Mr. Buddha sir!!!!” 

“Just Sanzang is fine, MK.” 

— 

The two sat and talked for a bit, mostly about the Monkey King. Sanzang tried not to ask too many questions in an attempt to keep his worry to himself until he saw his disciple in person. MK seemed oblivious to the anxious knot that formed in the belly of the monk, and this gave him an ounce of relief. He would hate to worry the boy. The kid instead rambled on about the time the monk had with the Monkey King, asking questions about the smallest of details. 

“How cool and awesome was Monkey King during your journey West??” 

“Not very, he was childish and impulsive.” 

“What was it like when he beat up all those demons??” 

“Scary, I was usually in ropes when it happened.” 

“Is it true he really  _ killed  _ people??” 

“Yes,” the monk cringed, “he did, but he was punished for it and never did it again.” 

The questions didn’t stop. 

It was mind boggling, the child genuinely  _ idolized  _ Sun Wukong. The same Sun Wukong who threw hissy fits when he didn’t get his way and ruined whole royal banquets just for shits and giggles. The tang monk didn’t understand it, but he was still pleased to see someone who wasn’t scared of the monkey demon (Buddha now, he reminded himself). Who loved the monkey with almost as much heart as Sanzang did. 

So, he sat and answered as many questions as he could. 

Not long after, the cabin door opened and Mai sprung out with the same enthusiastic grin she wore when the Buddha first met her. 

“MKKKKK!!!! Sandy says we’re almost there! Ooh, what are you guys talking about?” She giggled and plopped down on the other side of Sanzang. 

“We’re talking about Monkey King!!” He chirped back. 

“You're such a nerd MK!” She said with a laugh, and MK puffed out his cheeks and jabbed a finger at her. “Hey! It’s not a bad thing!! I just think Monkey King is cool that’s all!” Sanzang simply chuckled and listened to the two tease each other. 

There was a nice kind of familiarity to the bickering. 

As much as it irritated the monk when his disciples would fight and bicker every step of the journey West, when they finally parted ways Sanzang grew to  _ miss  _ the noise. The friendly banter between MK and Mai gave him a tickle of nostalgia, and he found himself silently clinging to that feeling.

The two kids went back and forth teasing each other before Pigsy emerged from the cabin. He had a phone pressed against his ear and he mumbled out “yes, yes, don’t worry I’m looking after them…” before saying goodbye to the person on the phone and hanging up. 

MK jumped from his spot with a stumble and ran up to the pig. “Was that Mr. Tang? What’s he doing?? Man, we should have brought him along!!” The kid bounced up and down energetically and Pigsy simply gave him a pat on the shoulder before heading over to his master. 

“We'll be arriving at the Flower Fruit Mountain here soon Master, I suggest we go ahead and get ready to cross the Flaming Mountains. It shouldn’t be too difficult. Little brother and I will be there just in case any trouble arises.” Sanzang stood and bowed lightly to his third disciple. 

“That sounds good to me. It’ll be just like old times, Bajie.” 


	7. Flower Fruit Mountain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group arrives at Flower Fruit Mountain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is rushed and short, I am very sorry.   
> Backstory time!   
> In the original jttw book, Sun Wukong was actually pretty mean to Bajie.   
> (I’m gonna fix that tho, don’t worry :))

Crossing the Flaming Mountains was a fairly easy task, the Buddha stumbled a bit over the hot rock but his youngest disciple was there by his side to catch his fall. Pigsy and MK took lead to scout for trouble up ahead, and Mai followed behind to make sure nothing could sneak up and hurt the group. 

Once they had reached Flower Fruit Mountain they took a brief rest. Sandy and Mai collapsed on the ground rather dramatically, and MK followed suit not long after. Pigsy rolled his eyes at the three of them and made his way to Sanzang. 

“How are you holding up, master?” The old hog asked, checking the monk for bumps or scratches (it was an easy habit to get back into, seeing as the monk would frequently bruise himself back when they traveled together). 

Sanzang nodded with an appreciative smile. “I’m fine, that was nothing compared to what I’ve been through. I’ve become rather resilient, you know.” 

Pigsy only snorted at that. 

The place was as beautiful as promised by his eldest disciple all those years ago. Sun Wukong described the mountain as paradise, and it wasn’t anything short of that. The flowers were breathtaking and the various fruits that littered the trees and ground looked mouthwatering. 

MK (having gotten bored of lying in the sand with his friends) leaped up and with a determined grin, jabbed his finger towards the grand waterfall that cascaded down the center of the mountain. 

“That’s where Monkey King lives!! Come on, let’s go let’s go let’s go!!” He cried, jumping up and down like- well, like a monkey. 

Sanzang found that behavior beyond amusing. 

The group finally collected themselves and began making their way to the waterfall. But not soon after, they quickly found that they were no longer alone. 

A monkey jumped down from a tree and landed on MK’s shoulder, the young boy grinned and started talking to the small macaque. 

“Hey lil guy! What’s up? How’s Monkey King?” 

The monkey chattered in response, and began picking through the boy’s messy hair in hopes of finding a small feast. 

More monkeys descended from the trees to stare at the strange group with the majority of them flocked to the monkie kid (seeing as he’s the only one they really recognized). One monkey in particular, though, found his way to Tang Sanzang and climbed up to sit on his shoulder. The monkey stared at him with wide eyes and began cooing at the man, putting his little hands on the monk’s cheeks and head. Sanzang simply allowed the macaque to sit on his shoulder while they continued forward. 

..

They finally arrived at Water Curtain Cave, MK now with various monkeys clinging to him and the one sitting on Sanzang’s shoulder found amusement in rubbing the Buddha’s bald head, seeming confused at the lack of fur on him. The group stopped in front of Water Curtain Cave and for a second, could only stare in awe at the beautiful cascade of water in front of them. The clear water sparkled in the sun in an almost  _ heavenly  _ manner, it left the monk breathless. 

His thoughts were interrupted when his eye caught the nervous movement of his third disciple. 

“Man… I haven’t seen that mean old monkey in years…” Pigsy mumbled, more to himself than anyone else. 

Sandy quickly shot back, “don’t be rude! He’s still your big brother you know.” 

The pig sighed and scratched his chin. 

“Yeah yeah, I know. It’s just been awhile you know? I don’t know how I’m supposed to react when I see him. What should I say? I mean, he wasn't exactly…” he trailed off. 

Sandy frowned after hearing that and nodded, giving his older brother a gentle, reassuring pat on the shoulder. 

Of course the two brothers of the Monkey King would be nervous to see him after so long. When Tang Sanzang parted ways with the monkey, Wujing and Bajie did as well. The disciples had gone through so much together, fourteen years of hungry demons and gruesome fights, of yelling over who gets to carry the luggage that day and who should be sent ahead to scout for demons. And it only took one day to say goodbye and not see each other for so long. 

Tang Sanzang‘s heart ached. 

Pigsy and Sandy felt the ache too. 

They missed their little makeshift family. Even if Wukong was mean to his third brother and called his youngest brother stupid, he still protected them fiercely and loved them just as much.

“This got… heavy.” Mai whispered to MK, breaking the silence. MK grimaced and nodded. “Yeah… do you guys wanna… uh… head back? I guess?” 

“Nah kid, it’s nothing to get yourself worked up over.” Pigsy said, giving the short boy a reassuring smile. This seemed to be enough to perk the monkie kid up and he returned the smile with a brighter one.

..

Once they got though the water (now all thoroughly soaked), they were met with—

A beautiful iron bridge that stretched over a calming moat to a rather massive house. The house was old but fit for a king, and monkeys were playing all around it. Once the macaques noticed the crowd of strange people, they instantly froze in place and stared. 

A monkey hopped off MK and bounced excitedly to it’s friends while chittering and gesturing wildly. 

“What’s the little dude doing MK? Don’t you speak monkey?” Mai began giggling at the little macaques, who all seemed to have gotten riled up at the sight of visitors, now jumping around and chittering loudly. “I don’t speak monkey! I’m still human you know.” MK huffed. 

“The monkeys here have a system,” Sanzang said, stepping forward. 

“They are communicating with one another, most likely they will report back to their king if they haven’t already.” 

The Buddha remembered his disciple telling him about the monkeys on Flower Fruit Mountain, how they work together much like humans. Sun Wukong had trained them to fight against the heavens and protect the mountain and over the years they built a system that works perfectly for them. 

“Yeah, they did this back when I first came here, except they attacked me afterwards.” Pigsy nodded. Sandy gave a short burst of laughter before slapping his hand over his mouth and muttering a ‘sorry’ to the pig. 

The monkeys suddenly turned their attention to the house, getting more and more noisy until— 

“What are you little guys getting so worked up over? I’m coming, I’m coming. Don’t drag me.” 

A painfully familiar voice was heard from the house, and following a group of excited monkeys, emerged the Great Saige himself. He stepped out in obvious confusion and turned to look at what his little ones were so loud about. 

It was instant. 

As soon as he locked eyes with the Buddha,  _ his old master _ , the Monkey King’s face froze. 

And Tang Sanzang found himself holding his breath. 


	8. tell me you’re here for me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanzang and his eldest disciple have a rough start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y’all better appreciate what I do because it took me THREE (3) DAYS to figure out how to characterize Wukong and write his interaction with Sanzang.   
> Needless to say, I personally hate how this chapter turned out. I hope y’all like.

Of all the things that could have happened to Tang Sanzang when he finally saw his eldest disciple after being decades apart, he wasn’t expecting to hit the ground with enough force to knock the wind out of him. 

A heavy weight was suddenly pressed against his chest as he was  _ thrown  _ to the ground, when he landed against the hard rock floor of the cave he saw stars. Once oxygen finally filled his lungs again, the terribly heavy pressure had not lifted from his body but instead it had fallen with him.

Warm. 

Soft. 

And— 

_ “OH HOLY BUDDHA— MASTER!!”  _

He heard a cry (paired with the ringing in his ears from his head hitting the floor) and he suddenly realized what had happened. 

The thing that threw itself at the dear monk was the Monkey King himself. His arms wrapped around the man’s torso and his face was buried shamelessly in the other’s neck. Sanzang struggled in an attempt to sit up or shake the weight off of him but failed, his only option now to fall back onto the stone floor. 

“Wukong! Wukong!” He cried, patting his disciple to gain a response. A moment passed before the monkey quickly jerked his head up to look the man in the eyes. His pupils were blown and his face was flushed. He sat like that for a second before clambering off of the man allowing him to sit up, while he sat back on his haunches with a visible pout on his face. 

“Master, what took—” 

“Hey, Monkey King!” MK cried out. Pigsy quickly cringed and held his hand out to catch the boy but he had already bolted forwards towards his master and crouched down to mimic his position. 

Monkey King’s face dropped once he realized he had company  _ other than  _ the tang monk. 

He cleared his throat (his face now flushed with embarrassment) and gave the boy a hearty pat. “Oh, hey kid.” 

“Guess who came down to visit???” MK gestured at the monk with a wide grin as if the king didn’t already know. 

“Yeah bud, thanks, I hadn’t noticed.” He chucked. Sandy quickly hurried over to help his master up, and as soon as Sanzang stood he held his arms out to the monkey. The king quickly stood and embraced his master again. 

The tang monk felt warm against his disciple and the monkey hugged him as if he was going to lose him in a second. His tail wrapped protectively around the others ankle, and they stayed like that for a good few seconds. 

Finally pulling away (Sanzang took a deep breath, his eldest disciple had hugged the air out of his lungs) and the smile on the Monkey King’s face quickly turned to a frown. 

“Master, you leave and haven’t visited me for years. I missed you and you just forgot about me. So why are you here now?” Sanzang could hear the distinct sound of  _ hurt  _ in his disciple’s voice. 

The monk’s heart ached. 

“Wukong, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to stay away for so long. I was quite busy but I promise I didn’t forget about you.” 

The frown stayed on the monkey’s face as if he didn’t quite believe what Sanzang said. 

“Big brother…..” Sandy peeped up, interrupting the moment the monk and monkey were sharing. 

The Monkey King turned quickly to face the fish and without hesitation a wide grin broke out on his face. He stretched out his arms and cried, “Little brother Wujing!!!! It’s been too long!!!!!” The two embraced and Sandy picked the monkey up in a bone crushing hug. The king didn’t mind one bit. 

When they had finished (the Monkey King now giggling, and Sandy overjoyed at his brother’s excitement) the monkey turned to Pigsy. 

Pigsy shifted nervously, and smiled. “Hey big brother… how ya been?” He asked (a little more meek than he would have liked), and the Monkey King only stared.

A pit began to form in Pigsy’s stomach. But the nervous feeling quickly evaporated when he saw his brother’s cheeky grin break out on his face. 

He took the old pig in his arms and said with a giggle, “Ahh I missed you brother Bajie! I’ve had no one to tease around here!!” The hog happily returned the hug and snorted, “serves you right you old ape, I deserved that break after fourteen years of your torture!” Monkey King only squeezed his younger brother and giggled even more. They finally split and the monkey placed a hand on both of his brothers shoulders. “I missed you both very much,” the smile hadn’t left his face, “now come inside, I have some fresh fruits we can eat!” 

“Aw yeah! I’m starving!!” MK yelled from behind Pigsy and Sandy (successfully startling the both of them). 

“Holy crap kid! Are you trying to give me a heart attack???” The hog huffed. 

MK laughed. “Sorry Pigsy, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Pigsy shook his head and gave the boy a pat. “You and your sunshiney voice always scares me” 

That only made MK giggle harder. 

.. 

The group quickly dug in, eating all kinds of peaches, grapes and pears the little monkeys had picked. The Monkey King had run off to grab more fruits for his brothers and master (as well as MK and Mai) and Sanzang quietly followed the monkey out into the patch of fruit trees. 

He watched as his eldest disciple climbed from tree to tree, dropping various fruits from the branches down to the little macaques below. The monkeys piled the fruits in a woven basket before heading back to the base of the trees to catch more. One monkey in particular (who looked vaguely like the one who took interest in him before) noticed the monk and began squeaking, before picking up a peach and running up to him. The macaque climbed up onto the Buddha’s shoulder and waved the peach in his face. 

“Thank you little monkey,” Sanzang whispered and took the peach. The monkey chirped and began rubbing the tang monk’s head. 

“What are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be inside eating?” Monkey King spoke from up in the trees. 

He dropped down to the ground and landed with a thud, his arms full of grapes. “I wanted to talk to you Wukong, may I?” The monkey dropped the grapes into the basket and picked up a peach, silently beckoning the monk to speak. 

“You’re upset with me.” 

“No, I’m not.” 

“You shouldn’t lie Wukong, you’re still a Buddhist.” 

The Monkey King huffed at that and took a bite of the peach. 

“Why are you here? I know you aren’t here just to see me, so why now?” Sanzang frowned at that. “Is it really so hard for you to believe I am here to see _ you _ ? Because I  _ care?”  _

He only stared and chewed the peach. 

“The Jade Emperor caught wind that you have a successor. He was afraid that you and the boy would cause trouble again.” 

The Great Saige emitted a low  _ growl  _ and threw the peach on the ground. He gestured at the monkeys to grab the basket and head back to the house. 

“Wukong, please just listen!” 

“I just did! I just listened and I was right! Of course you’re not here because you care, you’re here as a babysitter! Just like last time!” 

“Of  _ course  _ I care! Wukong please—“ 

His disciple was already halfway to the house before he could say another word. Sanzang sighed and began jogging after the monkey. 

He got to the house a little late and couldn’t find the Great Saige anywhere. He walked back to the room the group was in and heard the laughter of his disciples (Wukong included, he noticed with a thankful sigh) and the kids. He stood in the door frame and watched them happily eat the collected fruits. 

It looked very bad to Wukong, Tang Sanzang knew that. He had come to see his disciple after  _ years  _ of nothing and it was only to make sure he wasn’t planning on causing trouble in heaven again. It looked shallow and it made the Buddha feel guilt every time he saw his eldest disciple. 

“Hey Mr. Sanzang!!! What are you doing just standing there?? Come in and eat some!” MK broke him out of his thoughts with his chipper voice. 

The monk smiled and entered, taking a seat by the boy. MK handed him a bundle of grapes and Sanzang politely declined, causing the kid to pout. 

“Come on master, eat something!” Sandy called from his spot next to Pigsy. 

“I’m really not that hungry Wujing, I appreciate the concern.” 

The Monkey King grabbed a peach and walked over to his master, where he took the bundle of grapes from MK and plopped down next to Sanzang. He bit into the peach, chewed and swallowed, and held the grapes to the monk’s face. 

“Stop pouting and eat something, you’ll get sick if you don't.” He paused. 

“M’ sorry for snapping at you, ok? Just eat these.” The monkey dropped the grapes in his lap and turned to continue eating his peach. 

Sanzang couldn’t help but to smile. 

Hearing Sun Wukong apologize for his behavior was  _ rare.  _ The Great Saige had an unbeatable ego and admitting his wrongs never happened unless forced from him. But in that moment, it wasn’t earned. 

“Wukong, you’ve done nothing wrong. I should be apologizing to you.” He said softly and wrapped his arm around his disciple’s neck, pulling him in a side hug. 

The monkey just mumbled something incoherent and leaned into the touch. 

The Buddha knew he had a lot to talk about with his eldest disciple, but right now they could all use a break, he thought.

So Sanzang ate the grapes. 


	9. i’ve done nothing wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanzang and MK talk, Sanzang and Wukong talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UUUGHHH I don’t know what I’m doing anymore anyways here y’all go

“I don’t understand.” 

The look on MK’s face was torture. 

“What did I do? Why am I in trouble?” 

“No, no you’re not in trouble bud! I promise you’re not in trouble.” The Monkey King was quick to put his arm around the boy (who’s eyes now welled with tears) and begin gently rubbing his back. 

“MK, I promise no one is upset at you and you’re not in trouble. It’s…” Tang Sanzang trailed off. 

The Buddha had decided it was time to tell the boy why he was here. MK didn’t take the news very well and immediately began to panic, blaming himself for upsetting heaven and the Jade Emperor. 

“Listen, it’s not you it’s  _ me.  _ They’re upset at me, you’ve done nothing wrong.” The monk’s eldest disciple told the child. MK just sniffled. “But if they’re mad at you what do they want with me?” 

“Heaven is full of pretentious assholes who get scared of any being more powerful than them. Now that you have my power, they’re scared of you. But it’s ok! You don’t have to worry about them buddy, I promise!” 

This seemed to reassure MK a little bit and he gave his teacher a sorry, loopy smile. 

Sanzang felt guilty. 

His eldest disciple, his most loyal companion (who he abandoned on Earth while he was living it up as a Buddha, he noted to himself bitterly) now no longer trusted him. And to make matters worse, a poor child now has to bear the thought of being hated by heaven. 

How terrible, he had thought to himself. And how terribly, terribly guilty it made the Tang Monk feel. 

“MK, listen to me.” Sanzang spoke. 

“You’re a good kid. You have such a pure heart, and I  _ know  _ you wouldn’t do anything to threaten heaven. So you don’t have to worry about a thing, okay? Once I tell the Jade Emperor that you aren’t a threat, he’ll back off and you won’t have to deal with any malicious heavenly beings.” 

“Okay….” He sniffled and gave a crooked smile. 

“Hey why don’t you go grab some fruit juice ok? We’ll talk more when you come back.” The Great Saige smiled warmly at the boy. The child rubbed his eyes and nodded before jumping up from his seat. 

“Mmkay! Mr. Sanzang I’ll get you one too, okay?” MK had already ran out of the room before Sanzang could reply. This left the monk and his disciple alone together again. 

“I never saw you as the fatherly type.” 

“Huh?” 

“You act fatherly towards the boy. You and Bajie both.” Sanzang smiled. 

“Oh.” 

“You didn’t notice?” 

“Not really, I guess I was too busy trying to be a good mentor to him I didn’t… I didn’t notice how attached I got.” The monkey nodded as if confirming it to himself. 

The conversation felt stiff to the monk and as much as he wanted to give the monkey some space to sort out the ill feelings he has, the thought of being someone the monkey  _ hated  _ made his stomach drop. 

The Buddha got up and Monkey King watched him with curious eyes. Sanzang made his way to his disciple’s side and sat down next to him (making sure not to sit in MK’s spot), before placing his hand on the other’s knee and giving it a firm squeeze. 

“Wukong, what can I do to get you to understand how sorry I am for making you feel betrayed like this?” 

“I’m not mad.” 

“You’re  _ upset _ .” 

“It shouldn’t matter to you, Master. As long as I’m not causing any trouble to the Jade Emperor you’ve got nothing to worry about.” 

“Sun Wukong, how are you still so stubborn and childish?” 

The monkey snapped his head up and stared at the monk, irritation quick to show itself on his face. “I don’t understand you! I’ve done nothing wrong but you still insult me!” 

“Hush and let me finish.” 

Sanzang took a deep breath. 

“You’re too selfless for your own good. You always put those you care about before yourself. You’re allowed to be upset over this, and you’re allowed to be upset at  _ me.  _ I should have been straight forward about this but I wasn’t, and now everyone is upset because of it. Please, let me apologize.” 

The Monkey King stared, the same irritated frown still on his face. But it softened just slightly and he opened his mouth to respond before—

“IM BACK! And Mai is here too! She got some juice too. I hope that’s ok. Oh! Am I interrupting something?” MK bumbled into the room with his arms full of juice boxes and Mai followed close behind holding just as many drinks. 

“Are you kids gonna drink all those juices?” The Monkey King chuckled, turning his attention to the two. MK and Mai grinned before running over to the pair and dumping their arm loads of juice boxes onto a small table. MK picked one up and poked the straw though the top and handed it to Sanzang. “Here ya go Mr. Sanzang sir, it’s apple flavor.” 

The Buddha took it and with a smile said “it’s just Sanzang, and thank you MK I appreciate it.” 

The messy haired boy grinned and grabbed two peach boxes, tossing one to Monkey King and keeping one for himself. He then settled next to the Great Saige and began drinking his juice. Mai took a seat next to him. 

“So since heaven hates me now—“ 

“Heaven doesn’t hate you.” 

“—am I gonna get a parole officer or something?” 

The monkey choked out a laugh and doubled over with his hand over his mouth in an attempt to suppress any further giggles.

Sanzang scowled at his disciple and gave him a gentle, scoulding thump on the back before turning his attention back to MK. 

“You don’t have to worry about anyone from heaven but me, do you understand?” The boy nodded. “So you’re my parole officer.” 

The monkey cackled harder. 

“No, I am just going to check in every once in a while. Like family does.” 

“Oh, okay.” He nodded (the idea of family seemed foreign to the boy, Sanzang noted). 

The monkey finally finished laughing and once he composed himself he held onto MK’s arm. “Listen kid, you’ve got nothing to worry about. Especially since I’ll be here with you! Heaven’s got nothing on us.” 

Sanzang grimaced. “Don’t say that. You’ll just prove their point.” 

The monkey only scrunched his nose and grinned at his master. 

The Buddha rolled his eyes.

“Hey guys, Pigsy’s gettin’ antsy out here. We should head back.” Sandy popped his head into the room to report. Sanzang nodded, “yes it is getting rather late. Won’t you come with us, Wukong?” 

“Nah I gotta stay here with my monkeys.” He grinned lazily at his master. Mai bounced into the room with Pigsy following close behind. 

“Comeon MK! Let’s go home! I wanna eat some noodles!!” 

“I’m coming! Monkey King has to let go of my arm first!” He called back. 

“Oh, sorry.” The monkey mumbled and released the boy from his gentle grip. “It’s ok, you do that a lot so I’m used to it. Bye Monkey King I’ll see you tomorrow!” He leapt up and gave his master a frantic wave and toothy grin. 

The monkey waved back and said, “I’ll see you tomorrow bud! Don’t scare off my master now, he startles easily.” he added with a smug smile. 

Sanzang huffed at that and stood to join the boy. 

“Hey, come visit me once in a while, kay?” Monkey King said to his master, before standing up as well and holding out his arms. The monk happily embraced his disciple once more and nodded. 

“I’ll be back Wukong, I promise.” 


	10. city lights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pigsy and MK take Tang Sanzang out to tour the city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went though a crap depressive episode and lost all motivation to do anything but I’m back! So have this half baked, badly written attempt at a new chapter. Love :’))

“Have you tried spring rolls?” 

“No.” 

“Okay, have you tried gyoza dumplings?” 

“Not that either.” 

“What about sweet and sour pork?” 

“I don’t eat meat.” 

“Oh right. What about—“ 

It was funny, Tang Sanzang mused, that the boy was always filled with so many questions. The Buddha had to remind himself over and over again that he was a child, so of course he was curious about mundane things like what Sanzang ate this morning. MK babbled beside the monk, asking strings of sometimes incoherent and other times mind bogglingly stupid questions. 

Sanzang simply listened with a soft smile on his face. 

When the small crew got back to shore and said their goodbyes to Sandy, they made their way back to Pigsy’s little noodle shop to sit and eat before deciding what the next course of action would be. 

Noodles were served, and the bunch of them ate happily. 

“So,” MK started with a mouthful of noodles. 

“Are ya jus’ gonna go bac’ to hevn’ now?” He slurred, the noodle broth dripping down his chin. Pigsy grimiced beside him, and shoved a napkin in the boy’s face. “Don’t speak with your mouth full, it’s gross.” MK nodded, taking the napkin and childishly wiping his face, before giving the pig a grin and turning back to the holy monk. 

“Oooh, wait I have an idea!” He suddenly lit up. We should give you a tour of the city!”

“Huh?” Sanzang could only reply stupidly. 

“Ya know, since the last time you were here it was all old-timey and stuff!” 

Mei quickly perked up and grinned widely at the now confused Buddha. 

“You know what that means!!!” She cried, before turning to face MK who wore a grin of equal value. 

“ARCADE TIME!!!!” 

Sanzang nearly fell off the stool with that sudden outburst of energy and grappled helplessly at the counter in alarm. Pigsy quickly flew to the monk’s side to steady him, before turning to the two children and shaking his head. 

“Absolutely not.” 

“Aawwww!!! Pigsy why not???” MK cried. 

“You are not going to take my master to your stupid arcade, you can give him a tour— under  _ my  _ supervision— but that’s it! No arcade!” 

The two children pouted, puppydog eyes and all. Sanzang chuckled nervously (still trying to push down the startled anxiety that prickled under his skin) and glanced at Pigsy. “I’m not sure what that is, but I wouldn’t mind going to an ‘arcade’ if the children—”

The hog cut him off with another shake of his head. “Trust me, you don’t. They’re loud and smelly and full of strange people. Let’s just go and walk around the city, maybe stop by a few snack stands. Okay?” 

The pair of kids nodded (a little less enthusiastic as before, but still beaming with excitement) and MK grabbed Sanzang’s hand to eagerly pull him off his stool. The Buddha stumbled to keep up with the dark haired boy, and before he knew it he was back out on the crowded city street. 

The noise hit first. A slur of voices surrounded Sanzang and a sense of danger quickly made its way to the monk’s throat. Pigsy found his way to Sanzang’s other side and grabbed his arm protectively before scolding MK for being so reckless. 

“Kid!!! You can’t just do that!” 

“What? I didn’t do anything! Did I?” 

“Listen, you can’t just drag master out—“ 

The smell hit next. It smelled like a mix of burnt  _ something _ , greasy food, and trash.

“A little warning would be nice next time.” 

“Aww, okay. I just got too excited, I’m sorry Pigsy.” 

“It’s fine kid—“ 

The lights were blinding. Literally. So many different colors and shapes, Sanzang could barely make out the individual buildings. 

“Master, are you alright?” Pigsy’s voice called from his side. 

A small hand clasped Sanzang’s gently and squeezed, finally bringing the holy man back to reality. 

“Ah!” He startled. 

Pigsy gave the taller man a questioning look while MK frowned. 

“Hey, if this is too much we can go back inside or something.” 

Sanzang shook his head and smiled down at the concerned boy. “Oh no! No, don’t worry. It’s all so… overwhelming. I’m still not quite accustomed to this kind of excitement since I attained Buddhahood.” He paused. 

“It’s got it’s own charm to it, you know?” A soft smile played on the holy man’s gentle face. 

Pigsy snorted. 

“If you say so Master. It’s all grime and noise to me. Let’s get going.” And with a tug, they were off. 

.. 

The city was nicer. 

The place looked a touch cleaner than the area Pigsy and the kid lived in, and the coordination of the streets calmed Sanzang’s growing nerves. Being in such a busy place (as beautiful as it was) gave him the familiar tickle of anxiety he was used to on his travels to retrieve the holy scriptures. 

Pigsy’s hand never leaved his arm. MK wandered off every once and a while, but quickly returned to the monk’s side to present a sweet treat or toy he found from a nearby shop. 

The group ‘window shopped’ (as Pigsy called it), walking down the bustling street and peered into small shops that lined the walk to look at a multitude of different things. The holy man found the fatherly adittude of his third disciple beyond charming, every time MK would bound up to the pair with big pouty eyes and extended palms, Pigsy would grumble and hand over a small chunk of cash for the boy to spend. When MK darted away with his prize in hand, the old hog would yell after him to stay safe and don’t talk to strangers. 

The sun soon kissed the horizon and a blanket of night covered the sky, alerting the group that it was time to head back home. The walk back felt short (maybe MK’s babbling about the small fluffy dog he saw during his shopping spree was a good enough distraction from the length back to the noodle shop) and the exhausted group finally hit home. 

MK passed out immediately. 

Mei was quick to follow. 

Pigsy set up a sleeping spot on the couch for Sanzang before he retired to bed himself. 

The Buddha quietly sat in meditation, allowing his thoughts to flow freely till sleep. 

It was nice here, he decided.


End file.
